


My Darkest Dungeon

by shdowstep



Category: Darkest Dungeon (Video Game), 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-29
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:35:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26166493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shdowstep/pseuds/shdowstep
Summary: The year:1898. Izuku Midoriya, in response to the last request from a deceased father he never knew, attempts to rectify the mistakes of his ancestor and becomes the Lord of a land that has just about given up hope. Gathering allies and mercenaries, they attempt to purge the evil now rooted within the land. For is it not said that when things are at their darkest, heroes will rise?
Comments: 4
Kudos: 5





	1. Prologue

_My Dear Son,_

_I know that I have not been there for you, and I have no idea what it is your mother has told you of me. I imagine that if she has said anything, it has hardly been the most flattering depicture. Debauchery, greed, lasciviousness, and who knows what else are potential subjects of complaint._

_To be perfectly frank, I doubt that it scratches the very surface of my sins._

_I ask that you continue reading as I explain the purpose of this letter, and though I have no right to ask this of you, I pray that you will honor the wish of a dying man._

_Our family was quite prosperous in it's prime - our venerable house, opulent and imperial, gazed proudly from it's stoic perch above the moor, overlooking the village and land about it. I lived all my years in that ancient shadowed manor, fattened by decadence and luxury. It was during the later years of extravagance that my dearest wife, Inko, left me after I let the oath of marital responsibility fade from my mind and focused more towards… material pursuits._

_Despite my words at the time, I do not blame her for her decision, and she was quite valiant in her attempts to sway me from my self-destructive activities. But in the end, she left despite being pregnant with you._

_I suppose I should be grateful that she left, for she was not here to witness what happened._

_After years of the lifestyle I have mentioned, I began to tire of… conventional extravagance. Singular unsettling tales suggested our mansion itself was a gateway to some fabulous and unnameable power. With relic and ritual, I bent every effort towards the excavation and recovery of those long buried secrets, exhausting what remained of our family fortune on swarthy workmen and sturdy shovels._

_At last, in the salt soaked crags beneath the lowest foundations, we unearthed that damnable portal of antediluvian evil. Our every step unsettled the ancient earth, but we were in a realm of death and madness. In the end, I alone fled, laughing and wailing through those blackened arcades of antiquity. Until consciousness failed me._

_Our venerable house, opulent and imperial… It is now a festering abomination! Izuku, my son, I have no claim to you, and yet I beg of you, come to the manor, claim your birthright, and deliver our family from the ravenous clutching shadows of the darkest dungeon._

* * *

A loud bang thudded through the carriage, causing Izuku to jump in fright, nearly upsetting the pile of books at his side.

"Bakugou!" The armored crusader, Tenya Iida, scolded the third occupant of the carriage, "Remove your feet from the seat! This carriage is merely rented, and not ours!"

The rough looking blonde with a pistol and several grenades at his side scoffed, "Shove it Tin Can, if they have a problem with it, then they can take it up with me!" He spat out as the carriage hit another rough spot.

"Dang it!" He snarled as he was jolted forward again, "If they want freakin' courtesy from me, then they should STEER THIS PIECE OF CRAP CORRECTLY!"

"T-the road is p-probably just in bad condition Kacchan," Izuku offered, trying to appease his childhood friend, "We were warned before leaving the last town after all." He resisted a flinch as the blonde glared at him before turning back to his pistol.

He breathed a sigh of relief. 24 years old and the blonde still managed to intimidate him. Still, considering what the letter described, he was grateful that Bakugou was willing to come with him on this trip. The reforming highwayman was one of the strongest people that Izuku knew, and despite his attitude was the person he could trust most to take on whatever was out there.

While most people would have thought that the letter was a prank of some sort, Izuku suspected differently. Suspected, and worried all the more.

His mother hadn't spoken much of his father at all, and he hadn't even been aware that they were rich. Though he certainly suspected as his mother never seemed to run out of money despite her low paying job. It was certainly enough to put him through the prestigious Miskatonic University.

Izuku had always been curious, and stories of the world truly fascinated him. It was during his time at the University that he learned of the more… esoteric side of the world. Of rituals and the dark powers that existed, and the extreme dangers that they posed. It was while learning about these beings and powers that Izuku found a desire rise deep within him.

Where there is power, men would attempt to take what they could. But from what research Izuku could glean, these ancient beings were on such a higher scale than anybody on earth that humanity was viewed as mere insects. Bacteria within a Petri dish even. The only reasons that these beings would grant the power men sought was for their own amusement.

And when this power was given, people suffered. Even now, there were places that suffered from the result of men desiring power.

As Izuku learned more, the desire grew within him to find a way to help these people, to learn what he could of this eldritch threat so he could help fight it, to protect the people who were innocent in such dealings.

He wished to be a hero, though none might know his name or efforts.

He would admit that the sentiment was rather naive. And yet it described his wishes perfectly. If he could learn more and find a way to help those who were suffering, then how could he do anything else?

He had spoken extensively with colleagues and had bartered with many to gain items that they had gained on their expeditions, in addition to several items he discovered on his own. Ancient trinkets and protective talismans, he had gained quite the eye for such distinctions, and it was with these and the knowledge he had gained that he was determined to help people with. Already he had managed to assist several villages during a couple expeditions in the jungle.

It might have been nothing more than setting up protective charms at the perimeter of their villages, or helping heal a group of sick people with more conventional efforts, but it still filled him with happiness.

Receiving the letter from his father had been a shock, the contents therein filling him with anticipation and fear. This sort of thing was exactly why he studied and prepared! And yet, it was those same studies that told him that this was… not normal. Whatever it was, it was dangerous. Which is why he went out of his way to bring Kacchan and Iida. With the three of them it would hopefully be enough to at least get an idea of what was -

Izuku was knocked out of his thoughts as the road became a lot bumpier, and he gathered his books and put them in his bag before they were thrown on the ground.

"What the- HEY! WHAT'S GOING ON OUT THERE!" Bakugou shouted angrily, banging on the roof of the carriage.

Iida grunted, pushing aside a suitcase that flew in front of his face, "It appears that the roads were in even worse condition than we thought,"

All three stiffened at the sound of gunfire outside, and the horses began to neigh loudly, the carriage shaking even more than before.

"DANG IT!" Bakugou readied his pistol and looked out the window, "What kind of scrubs rob a carriage they don't know the contents of?!"

Iida blinked in confusion at him even as he started attaching his helmet, "What makes you believe they would care about that? Or that they don't?" He asked, grabbing onto his sword.

Bakugou let out a laugh, "Because they'd have to be complete morons to take me on!" He declared with a sneer, looking outside in the dusky light of the forest in vain.

A loud musket shot rang out, followed by the cry of the driver and a thump as the body hit the road.

All three passengers froze. "Shit." Bakugou snarled, disgusted.

The horses went out of control - where once they were panicked, now they were in a frenzy - stampeding down the road wildly as musket fire and buckshot hit the side of the carriage. Iida rose from his seat and shielded Izuku with his armored body in an attempt to deflect some of the more accurate bullets.

At least, Izuku hoped that that's what he was doing, as opposed to having been thrown on him by accident.

"Oi! Morons!" Bakugou shouted, as he aimed his own pistol out the window, "Keep shooting like that and you'll do our job for us!" A couple shots fired out.

"Did you get them?" Iida grunted.

"Tch! Hardly. Just want to make them more cautious of us." Bakugou snarled as he covered his face with his scarf to ward off potential glass shards from the window. "Most highwaymen are weak trash. One shot fired and they flee like pansies."

Several holes appeared in the carriage in an explosive reply to Bakugou's taunt.

"Huh," he grunted with an eager grin, "Guess that's not these morons."

"M-maybe we shouldn't antagonize the guys with guns?" Suggested Izuku as he readied his censure and bandages.

Bakugou glared at his green haired friend and current employer, "We've got guns as well!" he retorted, ducking when more bullets came through the side.

"W-well yeah, b-but it sounds like t-they have more than us." Izuku replied tensely.

Before Bakugou could reply, the carriage slammed against the side of the road, and they heard the wheel grind before breaking, the entire carriage starting to tilt.

"Hold on!" Iida called out, grabbing Izuku securely.

"Yeah no kidding!" Bakugou glared at the crusader as he grabbed a hold of the side, "And here I was thinking of NOT doing that! What was I thinking?"

With two wheels gone, one half of the carriage ground against the ground, leaving the whole thing at an awkward angle. Hitting one last large bump, and it proved too much for the armored individual, and he and Izuku were thrown against the door, which shattered open. Wrapping his arms around Izuku, Iida grunted painfully as he skidded in a screech of metal against the road, his armor protecting him from the road, though not doing well to protect him from itself.

Just as they stopped, Bakugou came flying out of the carriage and slammed into the crusader with a grunt, and the three of them watched as the horses galloped off, suitcases falling from the top of the carriage haphazardly.

Iida got up with a groan, pushing Bakugou off of him, before looking at Izuku, "Are you all right sir?" He asked worriedly, to which Izuku gaped at.

"Am I alright? Y-you're the one that just had a trip with the road!" He cried out, bringing out his bandages, "Just… Hold still for a moment," He murmured, before Iida stopped him.

"Please, you are my employer, so your safety comes first. Furthermore, the bandits are still around, so we can't let our guard down." Iida stated calmly. "If I may, I don't believe the hamlet was very far, so I would recommend we wait till then to treat my wounds."

Izuku put away the bandages reluctantly, "Ok, um" He thought to the map and on what the driver had told them earlier. "O-ok, so, the hamlet should be, maybe half an hour's walk?" He responded hesitantly.

"Tch, the trash will have focused their efforts on the road." Bakugou stated matter of factly, "They'll also be distracted by the luggage; that's the real target. We'll take the trails in the forest."

Iida narrowed his eyes at the order from the ruffian, but the words did make sense… He decided to just go with it for now.

"Well," Izuku said with forced brightness as he straightened his clothes, making sure his dagger was still with him. "Shall we go?"

As the trio hastily took to the woods, they were unknowing of the watchful eyes and knowing smirks of a couple of shadowed figures hiding behind some trees.

The figures watched the travelers with great interest. It had been a while for anybody of worth to come through these parts. Ever since the 'incident' with the late lord of the manor, and pickings had been mighty slim.

They were the only ones that had noticed the travelers, the rest having been farther back and were focused on the fallen luggage. The two decided to leave them to that - let them squabble over clothes and trinkets, for surely one would keep the items of most value on their own person - and stealthily followed the three. There was no need to tell the others. Why bother sharing if they weren't smart enough to see the obvious?

And thus the journey to the Darkest Dungeon began.

* * *

" _You will arrive along the old road. It winds with troubling, serpent-like suggestions through the corrupted countryside. Leading only, I fear, to ever more tenebrous places. There is a sickness in the ancient pitted cobbles of the old road and on its writhing path you will face viciousness, violence, and perhaps other damnably transcendent terrors. So still yourself and remember: There can be no bravery without madness. The old road will take you to hell, but in that gaping abyss we will find our redemption."_


	2. The Old Road

" _Brigands have run of these lanes. Keep to the side path; the Hamlet is just ahead. And to any that choose to impede your progress, dispatch them in a brutal manner, that all may hear of your arrival!"_

* * *

Three travelers walked cautiously through the woods, sticking to the shadows as best as they could.

"These woods…" Iida remarked, his eyes narrowed, "There is something unnatural about them."

"What, the choir boy not liking this little walk through the countryside?" Bakugou sniped with a smirk. Said smirk became larger when the crusader glared at him behind his helmet.

"The countryside? Or course not." He replied stiffly, looking slightly insulted. "Having gone through rigorous training for years in the ways of the Light, I have of course been through much worse. However," He glanced around, "The flora and scenery of this area is certainly… unique." He finished distastefully.

_Unique,_ Izuku gulped, _that's one way to put it._

All around them, the woods appeared to be in a state of decay. The majority of the trees appeared to be infested with large amounts of oddly colored fungi that Izuku had never seen before, several of which he could have sworn were giving off suspicious looking trees not covered with fungi were sickly and overgrown.

"Keep an eye out for those mushrooms, and avoid them if you can," Izuku said softly, eyes trained on one such pile in the middle of the path. _I wish I could take samples... The rampant and strange growth seems unnatural, but that isn't exactly something that I've studied much… at all really. And getting to the Hamlet is our current priority anyways._

_Maybe I should send a letter to Fumikage…_

He was brought out of his thoughts once more by the low conversation of his travel partners.

"I'm just sayin', all that fancy training you keep going on about is completely worthless in the real world. Just book smarts and 'theoretical shit'." Bakugou taunted with a smirk, "If we met a few years ago, you'd have died the moment you drew that metal stick of yours."

Iida sighed in aggravation, "To speak of such things amongst your allies, and during a mission nonetheless... Such inappropriate talk is better spoken when we are not in enemy territory."

"Heh," Bagugou snickered while eyeing the other man, "With as much noise as your armor is making, I ain't worried about the noise of some simple chatting."

"R-regardless Kacchan, if we could focus on getting to the Hamlet for now, I t-think that'd be best." Izuku interjected, clutching his knife. "Y-you can't deny that something feels wrong with the a-area, right?"

While physically the woods hardly provided a welcoming atmosphere, it was made much worse by the unnatural aura that seemed to emanate from the area. Though Izuku had felt worse during a frustratingly uneventful expedition to Antarctica, it was still quite unsettling. He knew that Kacchan didn't believe in the supernatural, but surely he couldn't discount something like this.

"Quite so!" Iida nodded vigorously, "Whatever gripes we have with each other, both of us are employed by Midoriya here, and as such should put forth our all until such a time that our task is complete."

The gun-wielder scowled at the two of them, "Not like he needed more than me for this." He grumbled while thumbing one of his grenades in agitation, "I doubt there's anything that could beat me around here. No need to bring the toy soldier," he sneered, to which Iida promptly ignored.

Izuku was about to respond when all three paused, the trail they were on opening up to a clearing. From where they were at, they could see a small rusty iron fence surrounding a series of old and worn gravestones. Though the small graveyard was still overgrown, it appeared to be mostly free of fungi. What truly drew their attention though was an ornate looking wooden chest just outside the fence, sitting in plain view.

"... I take it back," Bakugou grumbled, his jaw opening wide in shock and insult, "They're not just worthless. This is even worse… I don't even have words for this. Do those morons actually think that anybody would fall for such an obvious trap?"

A dark laugh came from behind them, "Well, it works for most folks, don' it? If it ain't broke, why fix it?"

Immediately the three spun around, weapons at the ready as they appraised the newcomers.

One was a massive brute, towering over all three of them. His muscular chest and large gut was clearly seen and covered in scars. A large flintlock could be seen at his waist, and in his hand he had a worn whip, jagged pieces of metal and glass wrapped along the length of the weapon.

The other man was much smaller. Though larger than Izuku, he was still smaller than Iida. He wore a dark green hood and cloak, his features hidden underneath, and he held a musket ready in his hands.

The man wielding the musket gestured to the three, "Now then, I can see you three are the gentlemanly sort," He said casually, "So why don't you be tossin' your weapons and turnin' your pockets out, and we'll be lettin' ya on your way. In return, you keep your internals all internal-like. Sound fair?"

Iida tightened his hold on his sword even as he repositioned himself in front of both Bakugou and Izuku, "Such arrogance," He sniffed, "To dare to presume to rob the rightful lord of the land. Have you no shame?"

Both the large and short bandit reacted in surprise at that, before giving a couple more dark chuckles, "'Rightful lord' he says?" The musket-wielder parroted with a leer, "Well now, if only we'd had known, right Errol? Maybe we should change up our offer then, whaddya think?"

"Hehehe," The larger man grinned eagerly while stepping forward, "Sounds like somebody Muscular'd wanna talk to I -"

**BANG!**

Both bandits swore in surprise, the musket wielder crying out in pain while Bakugou lowered his smoking pistol, glare firmly in place, "Too much talking with dead men." He sneered while reloading.

The larger bandit's face darkened in anger and he moved after the blonde, whip raised menacingly, "I'mma gonna make you regret that!" He bellowed, only to be brought up short by Iida, the metallic pieces of the whip shrieking against the metal of his shield.

"In the name of the Light," He stated calmly while shifting his sword, "Your first opponent shall be me." Delivering a vicious strike of his own.

The strike hit the bandit, who took it with a deep grunt, tanking the blow as best as he could. Quickly bringing out his flintlock, he aimed point-blank and fired, the blast deflected partially by Iida's shield and armor, while a few pellets managed to punch through, allowing some blood to trickle from underneath the metal.

Refusing to let his attention waver, Iida promptly used his shield to bash the bandit's gun hand, causing the gun to fly out of it, and following up with another hard strike, causing the bandit to give another cry of pain as another wound joined the first on his muscular chest. Gripping his whip, the bandit prepared for another strike.

Behind each man, a gunfight was occurring over their heads. Bakugou and Izuku hid behind a couple trees while musket fire filled several trees with grapeshot, with Bakugou letting out more precise strikes of his own. The musket bandit was already wounded, and even as he attempted to hit both travelers it was clear that he was becoming more panicked.

Not to be left out of the fight, Izuku lifted his lit censur to his lips, muttering a prayer in an ancient language that caused the light to glow with greenish smoke, gesturing to the hidden bandit.

Behind the tree, desperately reloading his musket, the smaller bandit was panicking as blood dripped down his arm. They hadn't expected this much resistance, especially after the trap and intimidation, which failed dismally. He wanted to retreat back to camp, get some of the other boys, and REALLY show these guys who they were messing with… Except, well, he was well aware of the boss's opinion on failure…

All of a sudden, just as he started to fire again, he started coughing violently, barely noticing a green smoke curling around him as flecks of blood appeared on his hand from his coughing.

_Bastards!_

He didn't have any antitoxin - they weren't expected to have to use the stuff out here, and the chief was real picky with their supplies. He looked around for something, anything, to save him, when he noticed it.

If he couldn't survive, then he could at least make sure one of them fell with him.

With a last pain-filled cry he lunged out of the cover of the trees, letting loose a large volley in an attempt to draw all eyes on him. As he expected, he felt something impact him, violently throwing him back, and he felt his breath shudder as the color bled from the forest.

" _W-welcome t-to hell, *cough* yer lordship",_ he sneered with his last breath before everything became dark.

Bakugou looked at the broken musket bandit scornfully. Had he honestly thought that that last attack would do anything? He spat dismissively before turning his sights towards the larger bandit. ' _Looks like tin man had everything handled, but he was getting tired and wanted to get something to eat. Better to wrap things up quickly._ '

He had just aimed, and was just about to shoot, when it happened.

Something surged from the cover of the trees, blending in with the ground and surrounding area, and in a single movement enveloped the blonde highwayman with a _*schloop*._

"K-Kacchan!" Izuku cried out in horror, and Iida and the large thug paused in their battle briefly to watch the newcomer.

By all appearances, it was a pillar of some kind of gelatinous substance. Transparent, they could see several bones and old weapons within it as it undulated unpleasantly, as well as a now struggling blonde. It wasn't terribly large - it didn't look like it was able to hold another person in addition to the gunman.

Izuku did a quick mental checklist of his tools, his heart sinking as he did so.

Charms of protection on his person, to lessen the damage of blade and bullet, fire and acid. His censur could fill one with fumes to either blight or heal. His books were full of knowledge, though none could help at this time.

He… He couldn't do anything.

He stood frozen as the fight between the thug and Iida continued, their blows ringing out through the clearing.

This was his nightmare. To be in front of somebody that needed help, but unable to do anything.

What use was all this knowledge if he couldn't use it to save anybody?

He watched as Kacchan struggled, saw as the blonde turned to him with eyes wide and terrified.

Kacchan was never scared. For years, Kacchan had been the strongest person that Izuku knew of, even if he didn't acknowledge the existence of the supernatural. To see him that scared, forcibly confronted with something that he thought couldn't exist…

Izuku felt himself relax as he made his decision. He just knew he was going to get yelled at…

He charged towards the undulating mass, reaching inside the gelatinous material and grabbing hold of his oldest friend, who desperately grabbed back.

Pulling him out of the liquid mass was difficult. The moment he pulled, the slime simply molded itself around Izuku's arm, changing its own configuration to prevent being denied its prize. As it reached Izuku's robes however, the substance seemed to hiss as the charms woven into the cloth activated. Seeing this, Izuku reached out with his other hand towards Kacchan's face, causing the liquid to reel back enough for the trapped man to take a breath.

"DEKU!"

_Well, he really probably shouldn't waste his breath on saying stuff like that…_

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"

He struggled as well, and despite his words he never let go of Izuku's arm. And yet the slime simply shifted, not wanting to let go.

"I-I had to do something K-Kacchan," He stuttered back, trying to dig his feet in to better pull the other man out. "I c-couldn't just stay back after seeing how scared you were!"

An enraged light entered the trapped man's gaze, "I WAS NOT SCARED!" He snarled, "JUST GET ME OUT OF HERE AND I'LL SHOW YOU SCARED!"

They remained like that, at an impasse - one side pulling, the other side ever shifting and changing. Izuku was desperately trying to figure out a way out of this when -

"Let the Light grace these, mine strikes, and turn away the Darkness of the World!"

A light shined from behind them, falling on the slime and instantly causing it to sizzle and With a sudden speed, it let go of the highwayman in its attempt to get away from the burning light.

Bakugou swore violently, reaching down to his belt, grabbing a grenade, pulling the pin and throwing it in one smooth motion. It plopped on top of the slime, and the next instant blew up in a wet explosion.

The three of them each gasped for breath for the next few seconds. Izuku eventually turning to Iida, "W-what happened with the o-other bandit?" He gasped out. He was tired and emotionally exhausted, but they were hardly out of danger just yet.

Iida immediately straightened, "After exchanging several more blows with the ruffian, he decided that it was better to retreat than continue our exchange." He replied formally, "While I could have given chase, I thought it best to ensure the safety of all members of the party instead."

Izuku nodded in understanding, "T-thank you," He replied gratefully, as he knew that the blonde never would, only for the knight to shake his head.

"It is my duty, of course I would do so. There is no need for thanks." He replied, though Izuku couldn't help but chuckle lightly at the way the other man straightened proudly at the praise.

Izuku glanced worriedly at the blonde, currently dripping in goop, who was being extremely quiet, and stated, "W-we shouldn't be too far from the Hamlet now… We should head over quickly before something else comes around."

The statement was met with agreement from the other two, and all hastily traveled once more through the woods. Thankfully, the graveyard they had found didn't seem to be far from the village, and soon they were crossing an old stone bridge granting access to the largest village that lay under the protections of the Midoriya family.

"... Tch, this is your birthright?" Bakugou stated in disbelief, the first he had spoken since the battle, "I don't know that you could GIVE any of this crap away!" And for once, Iida didn't berate him for his words.

Then again, Izuku found it hard to do so as well. He had done a little research after receiving the letter from his father, and he was aware that the Midoriya family was extremely prosperous and well known in these parts. The Hamlet should have been the largest and well off of the villages under Lord Midoriya, what with its proximity to the manor house.

Instead, the three looked in dismay at the dilapidated collection of buildings, each in various stages of disrepair, and each looking like they were falling apart at the seams. Houses and ruins could be seen all around, and citizens looked at them with haunted eyes.

Izuku had seen many villages, many of them in bad states, especially in a couple of the African expeditions. But this was worse somehow - this was a place that was once grand, and had gone through a terrible fall.

Out of one of the buildings came somebody that drew their attention, as he immediately started walking towards them. The man was tall, almost skeletal in appearance, with blonde hair and light blue eyes that seemed to shine brightly as it focused on them. He wore clothes that were baggy and ill fitting, and yet he had a presence about him that immediately drew their attention.

Coming closer to the group, he coughed violently before turning his gaze upon them once more, "Visitors I see!" He boomed, his voice almost disproportionate to his frame, "It's been a long time since we've seen some new people around here. So who might you guys be? And what's your purpose?"

Izuku gulped nervously, bringing out the letter from his father, "W-w-well, I-I'm I-Izuku Midoriya," He stuttered while handing the letter to the startled man, "I-I was asked by my father to c-come."

The man took the letter and read it, looking shocked, before gazing at Izuku with a softer gaze, "So," he murmured, "You're Inko's son then."

Izuku could barely get out a nod before the man smiled at the three of them, "Well, you three look like you could use a bit of a rest. But before that, I should introduce myself."

He straightened himself proudly, and for an instance it almost seemed like he was bigger than he really was, "I am Toshinori Yagi," He stated with a smile, "Caretaker to these lands. And I'd like to officially welcome you to the Hamlet."

* * *

_At the bandit camp_

The large bandit that had faced the traveling trio stood hunched over, clutching a bundle of cloth against the wound in his chest, and he stared at the figure in front of him with fear in his eyes.

Sitting on a crude throne and looking down at the bleeding man, sat an extremely muscular man. Blonde hair, with a large scar running down the left side of his face, passing underneath an eyepatch.

While he was about the same size as the bandit in front of him, his mere presence gave the impression of a much larger person, a sense of danger and foreboding that couldn't be contained to his already large frame.

Currently, he laid his chin on his hand as he looked at the man, his face one of amusement that did nothing to calm the nerves of the surrounding bandits.

"So let me get this straight," The guy started slowly, "You and Storvel, you decided to go off on your own to run down the guys riding in the carriage, and without letting anybody else know 'bout it, have I got it right so far?" He smirked at the panicked man, who despite sweating bullets managed a shaky nod.

"After confronting them, getting the drop on them no less, they managed to hand your asses to the both of you! Ha!" He bared his teeth, "You know, had you actually won, then I'd be fine with your actions. As it is, well," He shrugged in a mockingly innocent way, "You lost. And that just goes to show that you were wrong, understand?" He chuckled, even as the man started shaking even more, the cloth pressed against his wounds steadily turning more red.

He sighed, losing the smirk, "However," He stated in a reluctant tone, "I am a merciful man." Ignoring the incredulous and disbelieving looks that all of his men gave him, he continued, "Returning with information that the old lord has a brat that's come to try to set things right, that's good info to have. Real good. So I'll go ahead and let you live this time"

The wounded bandit relaxed, grinning slightly through the pain even as the rest of the camp looked at them in confusion.

"But!" The chief barked, gaining everybody's attention, "Punishment must be given still, and I'm going to assign that now." He reached over and grabbed a piece of paper and quill.

For the next few moments, they all watched as the muscular man wrote with barely any of them breathing, the scritch scratch of the quill on paper the only sound throughout the camp. Eventually satisfied, he put it in an envelope and sealed it with wax, handing it to the man.

"Here," he grunted, "You can wrap up your wounds, but you can't use any of our medical supplies until you deliver that letter. I want you to go to the ruins of the old manor and give this to Shigaraki. If you meet any 'opposition', just show them the symbol on that envelope and they'll let you through." He gave the man a smirk, "This is your only second chance. Don't disappoint me."

The bandit nodded rapidly, reaching out clumsily and grabbed the letter, "'es sir! I won't disappoint ya boss!" He stated eagerly before stumbling over to another tent to get patched up. As soon as he left the camp again, another bandit came up to the muscular blonde and looked at him in confusion.

"Uh, boss? Didn't Shigaraki warn you that he'd… uh, 'repurpose' any of us if he found us on his land?" The man gulped, doing his best to hide his fear and failing.

The chief gave a bloodthirsty grin, "Did he?" He questioned in a fake innocent tone, "Oh dear. Well, at least we won't be wasting those medical supplies, eh? Ha haha!" He barked out in laughter at the end, even as the other men gaped at him.

Getting his laughter under control, he waved his hand dismissively, "Heh, with that gunshot wound, he'd have been lucky to live the week. Maybe even less if it got septic in these conditions. Hopefully he'll be a better carrier pigeon then he was a fighter! And maybe that cursed Necromancer will think of us a little more fondly with that kind of gift, eh?"

He hummed in thought before absently speaking, "With Shigaraki and his 'master' focused on the brat, they won't have any time to worry about us. That'll give us time to prepare a few things, to make things real fun when the brats finally turn their attention towards us."

He looked to another bandit, "Toombs!" He barked, "I want you to bring the eight pounder and relocate it to the southern road. Also, begin construction on the sixteen pounder and increase work on the twelve as soon as we're able." His grin grew more excited, "A new lordling means he'll try to fix everything, which means more traffic on these roads. With more traffic, that means more looting for all of us, am I right?!" The rest of the camp burst into cheers, clearly excited at the prospect of either loot or fighting.

The bandit chief stood up to his full height and gestured to the camp of cheering bandits, "Stand with me boys, and you'll get your fill, of that I promise you!" He bellowed, "These brats think that they can just swoop in and kick us out after all the work spent in creating a foothold here? Well, they'll soon learn that Muscular and his boys are gonna show them who's in the right, am I right?!"

The now named Muscular stood grinning madly with bloodlust in his eyes, the camp of bandits cheering him on. And in all the excitement, none of them noticed the shadowy figure slowly backing away from the camp, completely unseen.

* * *

A figure in a light coat snuck through the darkened woods, her hands absently playing with a throwing knife as she skulked through the shadows, her face hidden under a wide brimmed hat.

So, a new lord was in town?

Toru hummed in thought, though keeping a careful eye on her surroundings. She had learned fairly early on that the careless didn't live long with all their fingers and toes. Or legs and arms. Or even chest and head sometimes.

Honestly, if the loot wasn't as good as it was, then she'd have totally been out of this place. And, well, if they had any other place to go… That was kinda important as well.

Maybe she should visit the town, see if she could offer her services? She and Mina had only been around for a little while, and had quickly discovered that it was dangerous to wander on their own.

Sadly, there really hadn't been much in the town to keep their interest, and while both she and Mina had… looser morals in regards to the property of those that were no longer around to care about said property, the bandits were a little too… murdery for their tastes.

That, and she and her friend were both of the female variety, and the bandits seemed to be a 'boys only' club. Yeeaaahhhh, if that didn't reek of 'bad idea' then she didn't know what did.

However, now that there was new management, the Hamlet became considerably more interesting in her eyes.

Shifting her loaded pack more comfortably on her back, readjusting her pick and shovel, she started smiling as the idea grew on her. Did the new lord have problems with graverobbing? He hadn't grown up in these parts, so maybe he'd be chill with it. Hmmmm…

She'd still have to bring it up with Mina, of course, but she'd been friends with the other long enough to know that she'd be overjoyed at the opportunity to be around others once more, and maybe, _maybe,_ the new group wouldn't be as depressing as the town currently was.

Only time would tell.

* * *

" _Welcome home, such as it is. This squalid hamlet, these corrupted lands, they are yours now, and you are bound to them."_

_**Current Roster:** _

_**Izuku Midoriya: Antiquarian** _

_**-Light healing, light debuffing, light buffing, light damage, etc. What I'm trying to say is he's not a good fighter. Eye for details, and as knowledgeable as an Occultist without having accepted any sketchy deals for power.** _

_**Bakugou Katsuki: Highwayman** _

_**-DPS, Ranged fighter (pistol), limited use area damage(grenades), good dodger.** _

_**Iida Tenya: Crusader** _

_**-Tank, melee fighter (sword), with prayers and the power of the light is able to rebuke creatures of unholy nature.** _

_**Future additions:** _

_**Fumikage Tokoyami: Plague Doctor.** _

_**Toru Hagakure: Grave Robber** _

_**Mina Ashido: Hellion** _

_**Currently planned Town Leadership:** _

_**Shouto Aizawa: Mayor of Hamlet** _

" _ **His competence and usefulness is only rivaled by his distaste in my own particular interests and his desire for sleep. Many times I have been tempted to… replace him, with somebody more malleable. And yet his dependability in ensuring the running of the Hamlet outweighs any of his foibles."**_

_**Yagi Toshinori: Caretaker** _

" _ **Health and wellness within an individual are certainly not indicative of their usefulness in various tasks, and this saying is perhaps most exemplified in the Caretaker. The years have certainly taken their toll on the poor man - though his mind has proven extremely resilient, his body has indeed suffered greatly over the years. Still, one could not find one more suited for the task of caring for the various villages than he, as time and time again he has proven that he is willing to give his all, MORE than his all really, in the defense of these fools."**_

_**Nemuri Kayama: Barkeep** _

" _ **It is rather amusing, watching the new workmen and mercenaries come into town, the bar invariably being the first place they wander to. To see a woman is the owner of a business is a rare sight indeed, and nearly all assume that she is… Available, considering her unusual beauty.**_

_**I have oft considered putting a warning out, perhaps a sign or some other such device, to warn them, and yet perhaps one must see and experience to believe. This woman is NOT a delicate flower of the night, and she is not for sale."** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's notes:
> 
> Thanks to those who favorited/followed this story, and especially to those who have left reviews.
> 
> MasterBlade47 - I gave it some serious thought, but I think I'll keep Izuku as an Antiquarian. I'd rather not mix classes too much, and the Antiquarian class has the things that I'd like for Izuku in this story. However, I do thank you for your thoughts :)
> 
> Alphasdragon - Man, I can't imagine trying to play this game without any casualties, so kudos for trying. Also, "F".
> 
> This won't be the full roster, nor the full town leadership. I'm still working on positions for everybody, but it is what I have fleshed out so far. I should have the rest by the next chapter.
> 
> I'd like to thank my brother, Autumnstar, and sisters, CrazedWierdo, CaptianDarkElf, and FluffyInsanity, for beta reading this chapter for me. I greatly appreciate their input and suggestions.


	3. The Hamlet

_The lands within the jurisdiction of the Midoriya family spanned a significant area._

_Closest to the manor stood the Hamlet. The largest of towns within the Midoriya's influence, it could very well be considered the heart of their territory. Near the center of the territory, it was easily reached from most points on the map, and one would need to travel through it to reach most other areas, and the noble family took advantage of this. The Adventurers Guild Hall, the Abbey… Many important buildings such as these were found here._

_Within a couple days ride of Hamlet stood 'Garen's Well', though more commonly known as the Farmstead by the locals. While the various areas could provide for themselves if need be, the Farmstead was able to produce enough for all of the villages combined. With the workers and their families living on site, it was more than enough to count as a small village in it's own right._

_Arbor's Point was located on the coast. A major trading village, it was the main source of commerce for the surrounding towns, providing imports and allowing for the exporting of goods._

_Timberhold was a town that took advantage of the plentiful woods surrounding the area. A thriving logging village, they provided for much of the construction needs of each area, something that cemented their importance in these lands._

_Perhaps the least productive of the villages, but undeniably the oldest, was Augur. Despite the lack of productivity, it's age gave it a historical value that was difficult to measure. Records from the old manor's library claimed evidence existed that proved it had been there before the manor had been constructed._

_While various other villages existed, these are the ones that people remember, and those that allow the area to thrive._

* * *

*SLAM*

"Get to the point ya geezers!" Bakugou snarled, his eye twitching dangerously as his clenched hand slammed against the table, the sound of his fist hitting the wood resounding in the large room.

The group currently sat at a table in the tavern, the place empty save for some kids playing in the corner of the booth under the watchful eye of the barkeeper, a beautiful woman with black hair and sharp eyes.

Those same eyes that were also keeping an eye on their own conversation.

It wasn't terribly hard to figure out that the kids were the children of the workers who worked in the… back rooms of the tavern in what probably passed for the, uhm, _red light district_ of the town…

In front of him sat two men - the first being the Caretaker that had introduced himself prior, Toshinori Yagi. Skinny to the point that he appeared emaciated, with clothes that seemed a size too big for him, he nonetheless had been helpful to the group, promptly bringing them to meet the second man that sat across from them - Shoto Aizawa, the mayor of Hamlet.

Wearing dark, baggy clothes, the tired black haired man raised an eyebrow at Bakugou while Iida looked appalled at his behavior.

"Bakugou!' Iida barked, "These are the leaders of the town and are therefore deserving of our respect! Cease this - !"

"Like hell they do!" He interrupted, turning a glare at the armored man, "We ask them what the heck was going on, and they start giving a long ass history lesson on how great the place is! Well I hate to break it to ya, but I had my eyes open when we walked over here, and this place is hip deep in it's own freakin' grave!"

The Caretaker, Yagi, gave a cough, "I apologize Mr. Bakugou," He stated as he lowered a blood-specked handkerchief, "We were merely setting the stage. To understand how bad things are, it becomes necessary to explain their original state."

Aizawa grunted, "How things were hardly matters anymore." He responded sourly before taking over the explanation, "Mr. Bakugou's assessment of the situation is rather apt." He stated bluntly. "The woods have become unreasonably dangerous and only the most suicidal go out on the water. Merchants aren't interested in sending any shipments as they're more likely to get ambushed and killed on the road here, and what few that do tend to charge exorbitant prices for their wares."

A sultry laugh came from the bar, "Really Shoto, you truly don't have a storytelling bone in your body." Nemuri Kayama purred as she brought some stuff for the children at the other table.

Aizawa gave her a glare that did nothing to faze her, "To go through the effort of explaining everything is illogical." He muttered, "the entire territory is in a completely horrid state. That is all they truly need to know."

Izuku winced at the blunt assessment. Not that he could disagree per se - Far more than dilapidated buildings and ruined state of the road, Izuku could see it in the aura that hung over the town like a blanket and in the eyes of the townspeople they could see. A feeling of hopelessness and despair.

Humanity was surprisingly resilient. One could infer this from history, and Izuku had personally witnessed this during expeditions in Africa and Antarctica. Even in the worst of situations people could find ways to pull through. The moment a people lost hope, however, was the moment they lost any chance of winning.

While normally he would say that this town had already reached that point, he was pleasantly surprised to see that not everybody had given up.

Though most of the townspeople had eyes that were practically heartbreaking with how dead they were, the eyes of Mr. Yagi, Mr. Aizawa, and to his surprise, Miss Kayama, remained bright and defiant.

"I-I don't want to presume anything," Izuku cautiously stated, "b-but have any of you thought about just… leaving?"

True, it's not like it would be an _easy_ endeavor, but considering the alternative… Why hadn't the villages simply relocated?

Both men seemed to wince at that, and Toshinori shifted nervously in his chair, "W-well, the bandit's have the roads pretty well cordoned off." He answered with a twitching smile, "and many of the citizens aren't in any condition to travel. With supplies the way they are, it just hasn't been an option."

Bakugou spat, "I'm calling bull." He snarled, and for once Iida didn't berate him, instead looking critically at the thin man, "You said these villages used to be great, didn't ya? Well why didn't ya just pull everyone together and move in force? They can't always have been complete dumps."

Before Toshinori could say anything else Aizawa cut him off with a groan, "We're wasting time beating around the bush." He turned an eye towards Bakugou, "On your way here, did you see anything unnatural?" He asked bluntly, "Something truly unexplainable? Perhaps… Impossible?"

Bakugou tightened his fists, and Izuku could practically hear his teeth grind. Instead of answering he took a deep drink of ale, and Aizawa nodded, taking this as an answer. "Attempting to leave en masse has been attempted before, and has resulted in complete failure." He stated, "Doing so only results in riling up the various forces in the areas."

Iida narrowed his eyes thoughtfully while Bakugou scoffed, "So one group failed and… What, the rest of you just thought it was connected?" Though he still looked unnerved by the statement.

Izuku coughed, "I-it, it could happen." He muttered, his mind going through everything that he had read even as everybody turned to him. "Depending on the entity and it's temperament, as well as it's current hold on the area… T-there are a lot of… Beings… that only think of humanity as a passing amusement. If the towns were to leave its sphere of influence, it might view it as the end to its entertainment, and would be, uhm, annoyed at that."

Kind of… It was difficult to attribute human emotions to non-human entities beyond human comprehension. If one were to attempt to solve the issue or fight against it? Depending on the entity, it was more likely to be 'amused', thereby giving humanity a chance. To simply leave though? Well, that would be akin to cheating. That it was able to do something about it showed the level of strength it currently had on the land.

Toshinori perked up in interest at Izuku's explanation while Aizawa looked at him with an odd expression, "You speak as if you know a lot about these things." He murmured, carefully cultivating a neutral expression, though it remained tinged with exhaustion.

Izuku gave an absent nod, "I s-studied at the Miskatonic University for several years, and I've gone on a few expeditions." He lifted the sleeves of his robes to show the runes stitched in them, "The occult is something that has always, well, worried me, and I've done my best to learn as much as I can to defend against them."

Aizawa's expression turned slightly skeptical, though he swiftly cleared it, "Well, I suppose that makes it rather fortunate for us that you are the ones that came." He said while leaning back tiredly in his chair.

Izuku coughed uncomfortably, "Uhm, hopefully. T-t-that is, we'll certainly do our best."

He didn't want to give anybody any false hope. He was decent, and had a decent amount of practical experience, but he had technically never finished his apprenticeship, and he knew he wasn't nearly as knowledgeable as his former master. But, well…

His hand drifted to the censur he had attached to his belt, wincing slightly at the memory.

… Yeah, it was probably better that Izuku was here as opposed to his former master. The two had had many different views on life and what to do with power, and in the end their final argument was one that really couldn't be reconciled.

He gave himself a shake, forcing his mind back to the present issue. According to what Toshinori and Aizawa had stated, it appeared that the influence had reached the boundaries of the forest, and from the sound of it to the cove as well, though that really didn't give him a very good understanding of how strong it currently was, nor which entity it might be, both of which were very important in figuring out how to stop it.

"W-well, if we're going to help fix things, then I'll need to investigate some of the areas." Izuku mumbled out loud.

"Help?" Aizawa asked with a raised eyebrow, steepling his fingers as he leaned forward and looked at Izuku skeptically. "We just finished telling you about how doomed the entire territory is and you expect that you can do something that the rest of us couldn't?"

Iida bristled at the accusation, the crusader looking appealed at the question even as Bakugou scoffed, "Sir! Surely every little bit helps? After all, you can't expect us to turn aside after seeing all of this, can you?"

"Yes I can." Aizawa answered promptly. "That's what I expect you to do. That's what I would expect anybody to do. I expect this, as that happens to be the smart thing to do." He eyed all of them critically, "If you stay here, there is a very good chance that You. Will. Die." He finished grimly.

"So I repeat - do you expect to be able to do something that the rest of us couldn't?"

By now all of their drinks sat forgotten on their table, the sniffling of children sounded in the background as Kayama comforted several of the children who were looking fearfully towards the mayor of Hamlet.

Izuku met Aizawa's challenging stare with his own, his determination growing. "I… I don't know if we can do things better - I, uhm, I can't really answer that. I really don't know what you guys have done after all. But I can't just back out now. I refuse to. Especially since it was my own father that caused this." He gestured to his two companions, "Both Bakugou and Iida are talented fighters, and each of them has proven themselves capable. I… W-well, I've been in fights before, but more importantly, I've had prior experience with the occult. I know various rituals to analyze and protect, and a bit more beyond that."

"I don't know if we can help, but so long as there is a chance that we can, how can I just turn away?"

Mr. Yagi was practically beaming with approval, though Aizawa continued to appear less than impressed with the declaration.

"Big words." He stated blandly, "But words and good intentions are hardly worth the breath that made them." He sighed, "Still, I suppose you can make your attempt. It will hardly make things worse." His eyes seemed to brighten and a small smile appeared, "Of course, since you are to be the new lord, this means that a portion of my paperwork can now be taken care of by you."

Izuku's determination stuttered at that, images of all the work that his previous master had stopped doing the moment Izuku had become his apprentice flashing through his mind in a nightmarish flashback.

He hadn't realized how much writing was involved when finding new ruins and antiques. It was no wonder there were so many grave robbers around…

Still, this place needed help, and Izuku _was_ the rightful heir. He was honour bound to fix the mistakes that his father had made, even if he himself had no part in it. If that meant taking on more paperwork, then surely that was a small price to pay… Hopefully.

Surely being a lord didn't require as much paperwork as planning an expedition to Antarctica… Besides, once the situation became less dire he could try to pass it on to somebody else.

"W-well like I said, I would like to go out and investigate." He quickly said, distracting himself from the thought of potential paperwork, "If you can provide lodging for the night, then we can head out in the morning to properly assess the situation for ourselves."

Toshinori let out a booming laugh, "Us provide lodging? Midoriya, as the new lord, it is you who will be providing the lodging!" He smiled widely at the three, "But no fear, we can definitely procure some accommodations for you and your friends!"

Aizawa grunted, "He's not the new lord yet." He stated bluntly, "We need to go over a few things and you'll need to sign some papers. Those papers will then need to be countersigned by the appropriate authorities and sent before it can be official." He sighed, "But due to the fact that you are indeed Lord Midoriya's legitimate child, and the preparations that he himself made, you might as well be considered the new lord with all the duties that it now entails. Congratulations." He leaned back tiredly in his chair, "In the meantime, you said you wanted to 'investigate'. Well where do you plan on doing that?"

… He could deal with all of the lordship stuff later. Focus on one thing at a time - learning more about the source of the evil. And the best way to learn more was to get closer to the source.

"Well, the letter mentioned that all of this began when my, uh, father, started digging. Could you direct us to where the excavations began?"

There were rituals that he could perform that would help him figure out the strength and identity of the entity involving itself. By no means were they a guarantee, but it would be a start.

He certainly didn't expect the reaction the question received.

Miss Kayama, previously maintaining a sultry smirk, gave a sharp flinch, nearly dropping the glass she was cleaning. Yagi immediately lost his jovial attitude and erupted into a violent coughing fit, flecks of blood spreading out on the table as his eyes widened in panic. Meanwhile Aizawa jerked upright, his eyes completely awake for the first time during their meeting.

"Absolutely not!" He barked, causing Izuku and the rest to flinch in surprise.

Iida stiffened at the sudden reaction while Bakugou growled in warning, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

Izuku flinched back at the violent response, his expression turning confused, "W-we wouldn't be fighting anybody," He tried to assure them, eyes darting between the three people, "I just need to be close enough to -"

"I said no!" Aizawa snarled, easily overruling the other. "And here I thought you understood the situation… The excavations are, without a doubt, the most dangerous location in the entire area! To send you there at this time would be akin to suicide!"

"I would just need to get to the entrance," Izuku stated quickly, "Just so I can get a better feel,"

"Young Midoriya," Yagi stated firmly as soon as he got his coughing under control, his voice once again sounding deeper than his emancipated frame would suggest, "I understand that you wish to help, but please understand that as of right now, neither you nor your companions are ready to go to the excavations at this time. The manor, the forest, the cove… Literally _anywhere_ else would be preferable."

Izuku gulped as he looked across the table at the two men, each wearing grim expressions.

"O-ok," Izuku said, hands raised in a placating gesture as he looked between all of them nervously, "We won't go to the excavations." He licked his lips as his expression became more determined, "B-but if we're going to actually figure anything out, then I will need to go _somewhere_."

Farther away would be more difficult, but still doable.

Aizawa continued his dark glare for several seconds longer before relenting, "There are two people that might be able to help you." He replied stiffly. "A nun at the local church. Most of the people that venture out into the ruins or the woods that make it back alive need counseling at the church, and she is the one that provides it. I have no doubt she's picked out various tidbits that could help. And then there's a foreigner that's currently recuperating in the hospital. They've been poking around the manor house and Augur for several weeks now. I recommend you start in those places."

Izuku brightened and gave the two men a smile, "We'll do so. T-thank you very much for your assistance." He replied gratefully.

Toshinori gave a chuckle and waved it off, "No, my boy. For being willing to help us, regardless of whether you succeed or not, we should be thanking you." He stated with a sad smile. "Now why don't you three head off. My house is next to the church - just two houses down, can't miss it. When you're done, meet me there and I'll have your accommodations figured out."

"Tch, whatever." Bakugou downed the rest of his drink before slamming it on the table, "Well, let's go and talk to those extras. I'm tired." He growled before stalking out the door, followed quickly by both Izuku and Iida.

Silence reigned in the bar for several seconds before Yagi sighed heavily and gave Aizawa a sideways look, "You didn't tell them everything." He stated bluntly.

Aizawa grunted, "Neither did you." He noted dismissively, the words causing the emaciated man to flinch. The dark haired man then shrugged, "I'm… withholding judgement for now. He's the son of _that_ man, and just happens to be familiar with the eldritch and the occult. Rather convenient, don't you think?"

Yagi looked like he wanted to disagree, but after a moment simply collapsed in his chair, "He might be Lord Midoriya's son, but remember, he is also Lady Midoriya's as well." He reminded the other man.

The dark haired man rolled his eyes, "If that is the case, then we can tell them later. Besides, it would hardly make a difference for now, and telling them everything would only scare them." His lips twitched, "Just think of it as a logical ruse." He suggested.

Yagi shook his head, "Never did like that phrase of yours." He groaned.

An arm slid around the shoulders of both men and Kayama leaned down with a smile, "Come now, you're being too hard on the man. Why, with how earnest he was he reminded me of Toshi here when he was younger." She said as she poked Yagi with a smirk, and Aizawa grunted.

"I stand by my decision." He stated firmly as he stood up and started making his own way out of the tavern. "Get word out to the rest. I want to have a meeting later this evening to discuss all of this."

Kayama sighed dramatically as she walked back to the bar, picking up a rag and beginning to wipe down one of the tables, "Very well. I'll inform Yamada when he comes in for his afternoon drink. He can let everybody else know.

Aizawa grunted, "Good." Walking out the door, he looked in the direction of the church, lost in thought for several seconds.

_That group… They'll either be the boon that will allow us to save this town… Or they'll be the axe that will finally kill usl._

He just wished he knew which one it was.

* * *

_Tenya Iida's POV_

Iida looked around at the sorrowful state of the town, memories from his past assaulting him. Despite what his ruffian of a companion continually stated, he was in fact well acquainted with the dark side of the world.

Oh, he didn't use to be. Leaving his mother's farm, following in the steps of his older brother, he had been idealistic and naive. Filled with dreams of defeating the bad guys and saving princesses.

Since then, he had seen the darkness of both man and supernatural. He had been through war and walked across battlefields, heart heavy at the sight of the dead and dying of both ally and enemy all around him. More importantly, he had seen the effects of all of that on various villages and towns.

Men were needed for the war effort, leading to a lack of men needed for regular tasks. Food, already in short supply due to the shortage of manpower, was oftentimes in even more short supply due to the presence of the army.

And then there was the disease… bodies, if not taken care of quickly, attracted rats and birds - plaguebringers - creating a nightmare of infections. A problem amongst soldiers, this wasn't something that remained with them solely, especially when they walked amongst civilians.

The feeling of hopelessness, the smell of sickness and despair in the air… These were the hallmarks of a town that was near a war zone.

So how was it that he could see those very signs in this town?

He sighed heavily as they made their way to the church. He hated war and everything that came from it, but despite that he never regretted his reasons for becoming a crusader. His purpose remained the same - the protection of the innocent - and right now, it was clear to him that this town symbolized the very thing that he originally drew his sword for.

As the three walked up the steps to the church, Iida's thoughts were uplifted slightly at the sight. Despite the wear and tear that the building shared with the rest of the town, the building appeared to still be in use, the lights through the window giving a warm glow.

Walking into the foyer, the three heard the sounds of others deeper within the building, and all slowed down at the sound of frantic babbling, the words doing little to put his mind at ease.

" _The heads… It has their heads… Jerry, Michael… It took their heads and I couldn't do anything! W-we, we just needed to find some food and it took their heads!"_

" _Shhh, Brother, please. Neither would want you to tear yourself apart like this."_

" _B-b-but they're gone! They're gone and their bodies are mutilated and I couldn't do anything to stop it! How can I tell their families tha-that I went and got them killed?!"_

" _Worry about one thing at a time Brother. You did the best you could for all of your families. Please, drink this and relax for now. I shall take care of informing the families for you if you'd like."_

_*sniff* "I… I just… I can't…"_

The words devolved into incoherent sobs, and both his companions were clearly troubled by the words they heard, even if Bakugou hid it behind his scowl.

Hesitantly, Izuku raised a hand and knocked on the door. The sobbing continued, but the door eventually opened and revealed a woman in robes that Iida could only assume was the nun that the mayor had mentioned.

The woman was shorter than Iida, and his eyes were immediately drawn to her unusually dark green hair that went down to the small of her back. She wore modest brown robes with a white ribbon to tie her hair back. A red sash was worn across her waist, a holy book hanging in plain sight.

The woman gazed at them with tired curiosity, immediately taking in their appearances that clearly set them apart from the rest of the populace, and raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Good evening milords, I am Ibara Shiozaki." She greeted softly, "May I help you in some way?" She asked.

Whatever Izuku responded with, Iida had no idea. Presumably introducing them. Instead, his eyes went to her outfit, his eyes widening in shock and incredulity as he recognized the style.

_What on earth is a Vestal of the Church doing here?!_

This was…Surprising, to say the least. To call a Vestal a mere nun would be to call a Crusader just a soldier. Where Crusaders were the swords and shields of the Light, Vestals could accurately be described as it's backbone. Healers capable of calling down divine judgement from a distance, and while not as rigorously trained in close-combat as crusaders were, they were nonetheless capable of holding their own on the front lines when needed.

Though Crusaders were most commonly seen in areas of conflict, the healing powers of a Vestal were just as invaluable in times of peace as they were in war. That, combined with their rarity, meant that they were often kept cloistered within the various convents.

So how was it that one of these battle sisters were serving as a simple nun?!

Iida's wayward thoughts were quickly brought back to the ongoing conversation, "... And we were hoping that you might have some knowledge about the area that would help us."

The Vestal, Ibara, seemed surprised at the question, but she quickly gave a warm smile, "Of course, it would be my pleasure." She stated with a nod of her head, gesturing to them to follow her as she led them away from the current room and to a simple kitchen area. "Tea?" She offered as she started boiling some water, "I must admit, I haven't ever had the honor of meeting a lord before, so you'll have to forgive me if my etiquette is slightly rusty."

His employer seemed to wince at that, "Uhm, t-tea is fine," He replied before shifting uncomfortably, "And, y-you really don't need to treat me any differently than you would anybody else." He said, giving a self depreciating chuckle, "I-I mean, I'm technically not even the lord yet, and I really haven't done anything worth the respect yet."

The Vestal smiled softly, "Humble." She commented in an approving tone, "That you are here at all speaks well of you and your companions." Her face grew sorrowful as she put a kettle of water on the stove. "The people here are in sore need of assistance of any kind. I have been praying diligently to the Light for a miracle, and I am grateful to see my prayers have been answered."

Bakugou snorted, "The Light didn't send shit," He sniped, "Deku here came cause his worthless old man messed stuff up and Deku is too much of a bleeding heart to say no. Tin Man is here 'cause he was hired, and I'm here 'cause my old hag wouldn't let me hear the end of it if Deku got himself killed."

Iida frowned. It might have been true that Izuku paid for his services, but he was hardly some common mercenary! Had he not provided some evidence, as meager as it was, that something dark was occurring then no amount of money would have persuaded him.

Before he could say anything Ibara gave him a calm smile, not seeming phased by Bakugou's aggressiveness, "And yet here you are, still willing to help." She countered in a gentle tone. "Whether it's for personal reasons or not, your presence here is no doubt a blessing to these poor people."

Bakugou rolled his eyes, and Iida quickly intervened before the Highwayman could say anything more, "We thank you for your words," He stated, ignoring the glare that he got from his companion, "and we will of course do what we can, but you said that you knew of some things that could help us?"

Ibara nodded as she gathered some cups, "Despite the dangers that exist in the surrounding area, the people still need to make a living." She explained, "That usually involves them going out into the woods to hunt or forage, or to the manor to… Scavenge for supplies." She paused briefly to glance at Izuku, her lips twitching when she saw that instead of being bothered at hearing that his family's manor was being ransacked, the green haired antiquarian had a notebook out and was taking notes.

Iida felt a small smile form on his own face as he felt a surge of approval for his employer. Clearly the potential wealth of the manor meant less than the welfare of the citizens.

"Unfortunately," Ibara continued, "There are… Horrors that now live there. Nightmares that prey upon the sanity as much as the body."

"What kind?" Izuku inquired intently, quill at the ready.

She stayed quiet for several moments, the sound of the stove providing the only source of sound before she answered.

"Outside the village, and even within it to a certain extent, the villagers say that they seem to experience light headaches." She stated, "They say that just being there seems to prey on their minds, making them paranoid and irrational." She bowed her head sadly, "Unfortunately, I am uncertain as to the accuracy of these claims. However, one thing that they can agree on are some of the creatures that they've come across."

She took a deep breath, "A good place to start would be the ruins of the Cathedral."

Iida looked at her in confusion, "A Cathedral?" He asked skeptically, "Out here?"

While the lands under Lord Midoriya were certainly large, they already had an abbey. He wasn't sure that the size of the area warranted a cathedral on top of that.

She shrugged, "It's one of the older structures, perhaps even rivalring the town of Augur. Beyond that, I'm afraid I can't explain its purpose."

"Pfft, the old lord was probably just trying to bribe the church," Bakugou grumbled, "Make a big show of how he's so religious or somethin' to get them off his back."

The green haired woman frowned at Bakugou, "A possibility," she allowed unhappily, "Though one I hope is not the case. The wasteful spending in the hopes of garnering favor with the clergy is… frustrating." She shook her head, "But that is all in the past and of no importance. What is important is that the Cathedral is no longer a place of the Light. Those who return from there have stated that the place is in complete ruins, and within they've seen robed figures accompanied by what appears to be skeleton soldiers."

Iida heard Bakugou scoff, but otherwise remained silent, for which he was grateful. Izuku frowned and, to the surprise of the other three, instead of questioning the existence of the living dead…

"Do you know the era of the corpses? Their condition?" He asked rapidly with furrowed brow, "Were they soldiers? Or just peasants that were given weapons? Were the robed figures heard giving instructions? Or were they silent the entire time?"

… He had already been made aware that Izuku was somewhat knowledgeable on the matter of the Dark, but he wasn't quite expecting this. During that entire thing he didn't even hear a single stutter! He felt a surge of shame at the realization that he once again made an incorrect assumption regarding his employer.

Ibara seemed taken aback as well, though she recovered quickly, "I do not know." She replied, her mannerisms subtly changing to that of somebody giving a report to their superior, "Most villagers that returned never got anything more than a cursory look. They state that they are skeletons though, so I assume no flesh remains. Swords and rotten leather armor predominantly. One of the few villagers that attempted to fight did so against what he assumed was a weaker undead, dressed in robes. It had a goblet with it, and when the villager drew close it threw the contents on him." She shook her head sadly, "Whatever it was, it took several weeks before he stopped hallucinating, and even then he was never the same.

Izuku nodded seriously as he bit his lips, "Has there ever been any signs of a leader?" He asked, and Ibara hesitated.

"Nothing confirmed," she replied carefully, "However, on occasion, there has been a sighting of an… Unusual being."

Izuku tilted his head curiously and gestured for her to continue.

She pursed her lips, "I assume you listened to the discussion I had with Frederick a little bit ago?" She asked, "He was the sole survivor of his group."

Iida rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "Yes, we did hear," He confirmed, "He mentioned something about… heads?"

"Correct." She replied, "The creature is described as being large and humanoid, covered in robes with a cage surrounding where it's head is supposed to be. From what few encounters I've heard of it, it seems to take the time to decapitate and collect the heads of those that he kills." She breathed out heavily, "For what purpose, I do not know. However, this does indicate a higher level of intelligence, and unlike the undead it is always alone."

Izuku nodded absently as he wrote in his notebook furiously, low mutterings too soft to be heard with clarity were the only sound until Bakugou gave a loud cough, kicking his chair.

The jolt shook him out of his reverie, and Izuku gave Ibara a grateful look, "Thank you so much for that information, that is extremely helpful."

Ibara gave him a gentle smile, "Of course, it is my pleasure. But, if I may quickly ask a question of my own?" She asked.

Izuku blinked in surprise, "Oh! O-of course, w-what would you like to know?"

"When do the three of you intend to head out?" She asked.

This time it was Bakugou that answered first, "The sooner we can get all this shit figured out the better." He grunted, "We still need to talk to the Stick Man about supplies, but probably tomorrow morning."

She nodded thoughtfully, "In which case, I would like to volunteer my services." She stated, as calmly as if it were the most reasonable thing in the world.

Izuku looked at her in confusion, "I, well, I-I mean if things end up going badly t-then I guess it would be natural for us to come here. Either here or the hospital depending, so I -"

He stopped as Ibara held up her hand, "I do not mean in that capacity, though I would be more than willing to do that as well. Rather, I would like to accompany you as you go forth into this den of evil."

Izuku looked at her blankly for several moments and Bakugou spat, "I ain't babysitting some random extra just cause you're curious. If you really wanna go, hire some other group to take ya."

Iida leaned forward curiously, "Then it is good that she's not some random person Bakugou." He replied for the Vestal. "I'm actually surprised that you haven't noticed." He shouldn't be smug - The odds of Bakugou ever encountering a Vestal were extremely low after all - but he had come to cherish the moments when he could silence his companions' mockery.

Both Izuku and Bakugou looked at Iida in surprise before taking a closer look at the green haired woman while she waited patiently. A few beats later Bakugou growled in annoyance, "You've fought before." He noted bluntly, "Some kinda club?"

Ibara smiled, "A mace actually," She replied easily, "You have sharp eyes," She congratulated, turning to Iida right after and giving a small bow, "As do you, Sir Crusader."

Izuku's eyes widened, "Oh! I should've realized - you're a Vestal!" He exclaimed, boyish excitement spreading across his face, "I didn't realize that any were stationed here. I've heard that all Vestals are trained in the arts of healing, is that true? Do your abilities lean more towards offensive or support? Is this an official Church assignment, or are you here on your own terms? Do you -"

"Oi!" Bakugou barked, getting his attention back as Ibara seemed to become overwhelmed with the stream of questions, "Just because she ain't a liability doesn't mean that we should take her." He turned his attention to her, "Why do you even want to come with us? You said yourself that it's shit out there."

She nodded, her expression turning serious at the question, "That is a good question," She acknowledged, "The truth is…"

A few seconds passed as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, an expression of frustration coming over her for the first time during their conversation, the emotion surprising Iida with it's intensity.

"The entire time I've been here, I've only been able to treat the infection so to speak. I've seen the despair that everybody feels, and have only been able to provide a token amount of comfort to them." She opened her eyes, her gaze filled with determination, "Now you are here, your goal being the very same thing that I haven't been able to accomplish on my own. I wish to destroy the infection at the source. Will you give me that chance?"

Ibara and Izuku looked at each other for several seconds, one searching while the other was determined, and eventually Izuku gave a tentative nod. "O-ok." He said, "Y-you can go with us on one trip. W-we can talk about if we want to continue to do so after that."

She thought about it before giving a grateful bow, "That sounds reasonable. I assure you, I will not allow myself to be a liability."

"I-I'm sure," Izuku said with a small smile, "W-we'll send Iida later tonight after we talk further with Mr. Yagi regarding supplies and figure out when we plan on heading out. Will that work?"

"It does." She replied happily as she turned to Iida and Bakugou, "I look forward to working with you tomorrow then."

"As do I." Iida promptly said, feeling considerably more comfortable about heading out the next day. A healer was invaluable on any fighting front, and the presence of a Vestal was one that he was very much used to already. Especially considering who their foe appeared to be.

Izuku started standing up, "W-well, if that's all, then we should head over to the hospital to talk to the foreigner that the Mayor told us about. We should have enough time to do that and meet up at Mr. Yagi's house before dark."

"You are leaving already?" Ibara asked, clearly surprised. At their questioning looks she gave a small laugh as she smoothly walked over to the stove and forgotten pot of boiling water. "You asked for information on the various areas, but I've only gone over the Cathedral."

Iida felt his mouth drop open, "There's more?!"

She turned to him with a tired look, one that spoke of months of effort and exhaustion, and managed a wry look.

"Welcome to Hamlet."

* * *

_Later_

A long conversation later and several cups of tea later Ibara finally left to go talk to some of the people in town. Iida and Bakugou looked tiredly at Izuku who was poring over the pages of notes that he had just barely written.

"Freakin' diseased dogs… Mushroom people… giant spiders… Shiiiiit…" Bakugou grumbled as his hand twitched on his guns. "And then if we can believe a bunch of country bumpkins there's a freakin' army of dead people! Followed by a bunch of bandits!" He glared at Izuku, who still had his head buried in his notes. "Give me one reason why I should stick around for all this crap Deku!"

Izuku, for his part, didn't seem bothered by this, and absently answered, "Because Aunt Mizuki would tell everybody she knows that you ran away from a fight if you run away and leave me behind."

"... Shit, she would do that." He growled. "Guess that means that I'll just have to take you with me."

That brought Izuku back to the present and he looked at Bakugou with an aggrieved look, "Kacchan… I can't just leave. I mean," He gestured to a window, "Just _look_ at everything! If we leave, then any chance that this place has would be destroyed."

Bakugou gritted his teeth, "Deku, just cause your worthless old man caused this doesn't mean it's your job to freakin' fix it! You never even knew the codger!"

"I-I know that!" He replied back with equal intensity, though it was clear he was uncomfortable doing so, "But even if it wasn't my fault, I can still help! How can you expect me to turn aside when I know things that can help these people!"

The Highwayman exhaled harshly but didn't say anything else, instead taking out a knife and beginning to sharpen it, putting more force than strictly necessary.

Izuku took a deep breath and looked at the two, "I-it's a little later than we planned, b-but we should still have enough time to talk with the foreigner at the hospital before seeing if Mr. Yagi took care of our housing."

Iida coughed, "Actually Izuku, if I may make a request, I would actually like to spend some time in prayer here. After what Lady Ibara has told us, I believe that we could use all the help we can get."

"Oh," Izuku looked slightly taken aback and curious, but nodded in acknowledgement, "Of course, that shouldn't be a problem. Kacchan and I can take care of the hospital no problem."

Bakugou snorted, "Yeah, I'll pass on that Deku. I ain't spending any more time in the hospital than I have to. I'll stick around here for a bit with Tin Head. Maybe go visit Stick Man when he's ready."

Iida looked at Bakugou in confusion. He wanted to stay here? "I didn't think that you were religious at all Bakugou." He said, berating himself for once more assuming something about his -

Bakugou scoffed, "Me? Heck no! All that ain't for me. But the seats here are probably better than in the hospital to catch a nap."

Ah. That would make more sense. "I see." He said in a slightly disappointed tone.

Bakugou scowled, "Hey. what's with that tone?! It may surprise ya, but I've got lots of friends that go to Church. Very dutiful. Every week even." He barked out a laugh, "Don't do it myself, but they tell me that hardly anybody counts the coppers in the collection plate as it goes by."

Iida looked at him horrified, "BAKUGOU! THAT IS MORALLY REPREHENSIBLE! HOW CAN YOU CONDONE SUCH A THING!"

"What? That money is for the poor ain't it? Well my friends are pretty dang poor I'll have you know! The church is pretty busy, they can't always find my poor friends, so my friends are just doin' what they can to make the burden a little lighter for them. Generous, eh?"

Iida stared at Bakugou in horrified silence, unable to think of anything that he could say that would have an effect on the other man, and eventually Izuku coughed uncomfortably.

"A-alright, I'll go ahead and g-go to the hospital." Izuku decided, "Iida, you can stay here, and Kacchan will visit Mr. Yagi to figure out the matter of supplies. And, uhm, I'm sure that Bakugou was just joking about the money… So, I'll uh, head out now."

Izuku quickly headed out, and Bakugou leaned back in his chair as he smirked at Iida, "Yeah, I'm probably joking… Maybe."

Iida deflated slightly with a sigh. To himself, he could admit that Bakugou was hardly the bad sort. Despite this however, more and more he was becoming very grateful for the Vestal to be joining them.

He honestly wasn't sure if he could survive Bakugou with only Izuku around.

* * *

_Momo's POV_

She breathed in deeply, focusing on nothing. Emptying her mind of all the troubles as the soft sound of the candle burning next to her bed flickered, slowly becoming the only noise filling her ears.

The troubles of the past, the ache of her missing hand, the burn of her most recent wounds, the terror of her latest nightmares…

 _Especially_ her latest nightmare…

All of it, flowing into nothing as she carefully meditated and cleared her thoughts, coming as close to tranquility as she could manage.

She wasn't sure how long she remained like this, and it was only when somebody coughed that her focus was brought crashing down, her eyes jerking open to see the bowed form of a robed man in the doorway, his cheeks flushed.

"I-I-I'm sorry for disturbing you," The man stammered, "The nurse said that I could just come in, I had no idea that I was interrupting you!"

Momo, formerly of the Yaoyorozu Family, swiftly grabbed her course veil and helmet, putting them on one handed with practiced speed even as she cursed the nurses. There was no lock on the door, but she had thought they would still respect a closed door! Still, at least this man was courteous enough to look away.

She didn't really mind people seeing her face, but she _hated_ being stared at. The leering looks of the men… The judging looks of the women… She had had more than enough of that in her past.

As she finished tying the veil she observed the man that had entered her room.

He was a bit on the short side, with green fluffy hair. He was wearing some kind of robes, the condition and quality of which were significantly better than what most of the people in this town currently had. That, combined with his demeanor… A scholar perhaps?

She finished tying her veil and gave a small cough, "Thank you for your consideration." She said courteously. "My name is Momo."

"Oh! Uh, no problem." He said nervously as he looked up, "The nurses said I could come in, and you didn't respond when I knocked… And when I saw your veil and outfit I recognized them and assumed…" His voice petered off and he gave an uncomfortable cough. "My name is Izuku Midoriya. Mr. Yagi and Mr. Aizawa suggested that I talk to you."

Midoriya.

Her eyes narrowed.

As in Lord Midoriya.

She looked at him intently, "You are the new lord?"

He grimaced, "Well, kinda. It's, uh," he sighed, "It's complicated. Technically I didn't even know that the late lord was my dad till a few weeks ago. And now, uh, well I'm finding out all sorts of things about him that I don't really like."

"I see…" _A pity. So he wouldn't be able to help her._ "What is it that you wish to talk to me about?"

He licked his lips nervously, "You've, uhm, traveled to the various areas around here, right? So you know that, uh…"

Her eyebrow quirked up in amusement.

"That this place appears to be under a number of heinous curses?" She asked bluntly.

He coughed uncomfortably, "Uhm, y-yeah, that."

"Yes," She stated dryly as she gave a light stretch, wincing as it pulled at her most recent injury, "it is not difficult to notice."

He leaned forward, quickly bringing out a notebook, "Can you tell me what you know?"

She shrugged, "Maybe." _Perhaps they could help each other after all._ "Why do you wish to learn?"

He cocked his head, "I, w-well," He gave a small huff, "I seem to be answering that question a lot today." He mused. "B-but, technically since my father made this mess it's up to me to fix it, isn't it? You've been here for a while, h-haven't you? Surely you've seen it, h-how much the town needs help…" he gave a helpless shrug, "I can't just turn my back on them."

She looked at him carefully. She thought herself a decent judge of character due to her experiences, and…

She found herself leaning back in surprise.

He actually appeared to be earnest in his statement.

The clothes that he wore and his manner of speaking indicated a fair level of intelligence, so he wasn't speaking from ignorance or foolhardiness, and his behavior and the way he spoke clearly told of a nervous spirit. She was impressed that he could remain so earnest then despite all of that.

He saw her gaze and sighed in a depressed fashion, "Is it really that hard to believe that I just want to help?"

She had to restrain herself from laughing at that. It was, and yet it was all the more admirable as he was telling the truth.

"Alright," She decided, "I'll tell you what I know. But I'd like to propose a trade."

He looked at her curiously and she took a deep breath, "Many years ago, several relics of various import were stolen from my family. From what I have been able to tell, they were… 'purchased' by your father, the late Lord Midoriya." She looked intently at the young lord in front of her, "I'll tell you what I've learned of the area, and I'll even join your group once my wounds heal, on the condition that once we find those relics that they will be returned to me."

To her surprise Izuku immediately nodded in agreement, "Deal."

He gave a weak smile in response to her surprise, "I don't have any need for whatever it is, and if it can help me and my friends survive out there then I would consider it a bargain. And if you've managed to survive out there on your own, then I assume you can take care of yourself." He grimaced a little, 'Though you might have to prove yourself to the others."

Her smile went unnoticed under her veil, "I have no issues with that." She said lightly, already vastly relieved at the idea of having another watching her back. She had never been able to venture too deeply on her own - the chance of getting into a situation that she couldn't get out of was just too great.

The fact that her new ally seemed to be a genuinely nice person was a very nice bonus.

"Alright, is there a particular place that you'd like to know about?" She asked.

Izuku furrowed his brow in concentration, "For now, let's focus on what you are most familiar with, and go from there." He decided, and she nodded.

"Very well. The main areas that I have been focusing my search on are the ruins of the manor and cathedral, followed by the tunnels underneath Augur."

She was about to continue when she saw him look up in confusion.

"There are _tunnels_ underneath Augur?"

* * *

_Izuku's POV_

By the time Izuku made it out it was already getting dark.

He sighed, feeling drained. Still, he had learned a lot of good information, so he found it difficult to regret it. After all, the last thing he wanted was for somebody to die because they were unprepared, especially since he was now responsible for the Vestal Ibara (He still had so many questions for her!) and the Shieldbreaker Momo when she recovered (His father's crimes seemed to keep on piling up, to the point that he knew he no longer should be surprised…)

He had already come up with a list of things that needed to get done, and investigating was only the first of many things. As soon as he had the time, he really needed to send a letter to Fumikage and ask him to come - the hospital doctors were…

He shuddered. He wasn't a germaphobe, but infections were going to be a problem if nothing was done about that.

He also had made a list of buildings that needed to be repaired. They needed to do something to bring up the morale of the town, and that would start with what the people in town saw every day.

Food was also a concern. The Vestal, Ibara, had mentioned that the people were forced to go hunting in the woods despite the dangers. Did that mean that something happened to The Farmstead that Mr. Yagi mentioned? He would have to ask.

As for the investigation itself? Based on everything that he had learned, the best place to begin investigating would be the Cathedral. Of all the locations that he had learned about, that one seemed to be actively steeped in Dark Magic if the presence of Necromancy was any indication.

With such a concentration of Darkness, it should increase the clarity of his own detection ritual.

So far everything seemed to be going rather well.

"What do you mean shovels are worth 250 shillings!"

Izuku paled after hearing Kacchan's voice, the price sending his mind in a sudden audit as he was forcibly reminded of something.

Money.

* * *

_**Current Roster:  
**_ _**Izuku Midoriya: Antiquarian  
** _ _**Katsuki Bakugou : Highwayman  
** _ _**Tenya Iida : Crusader** _

_**New Members:**  
_ _**Ibara Shiozaki : Vestal  
** _ _**Momo Yaoyorozu : Shieldbreaker** _

_**Future Roster :  
**_ _**Mina Ashido : Hellion  
** _ _**Toru Hagakure: Gravedigger  
** _ _**Himiko Toga : Flagellant  
** _ _**Shoto Todoroki : Abomination  
** _ _**Koji Koda : Houndmaster  
** _ _**Fumikage Tokoyami : Plague Doctor  
** _ _**Mezo Shoji : Leper  
** _ _**Eijiro Kirishima : Man-At-Arms** _

_**Hamlet Leadership :  
**_ _**Shoto Aizawa (Eraserhead) : Hamlet Mayor  
** _ _**Toshinori Yagi (All Might) : Caretaker  
** _ _**Nemuri Kayama (Midnight) : Barkeeper  
** _ _**Hizashi Yamada (Present Mic) : Town Crier  
** _ _**Higari Maijima (Power Loader): Blacksmith  
** _ _**? (Snipe) : Guild Trainer  
** _ _**Nezu : [Secret - No spoilers]** _

_**Enemies :  
**_ **Shigaraki : Necromancer Lord  
** **Kurogiri : Collector  
** **Muscular : Bandit King**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Authors Notes:
> 
> I'd like to once again thank everybody who has favorited, followed, or left a review. This story is actually rather enjoyable to plan out, and I'm looking forward to future shenanigans.
> 
> ImagInarI: Thank you very much for your suggestions! You actually guessed my intentions for several of them. I don't think that I will be giving Todoroki fire/ice powers, but I do have his story planned out in a way that I think will work rather well. As for the others? I'll let that become a surprise for when they come up. :)
> 
> Tf2sniper326: as you can see in the roster above, I do plan on having Toga appear as the Flagellant, so that guess was right on the money. I really debated on whether she would make for a good flagellant, or if I should make her the Countess, and I eventually went with the flagellant. In my mind it just didn't fit to make her one of the big bads, you know?
> 
> I'd also like to announce that I have started a Patreon page for those who are interested. The link to that page is Patreon.com/shdowstep. I am extremely new to that site, and if anybody has any ideas on what sort of rewards I should have for those who are willing to become patrons, please let me know. I'm always interested in learning and growing.
> 
> Finally, I'd like to once again thank my sisters (CaptainDarkElf and CrazedWeirdo) and my brother (Autumnstar) for reviewing this chapter for me.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there! This is a new story idea that I had and wanted to write out. I’ve been playing Darkest Dungeon lately, a game that my brother Autumnstar gave me for my birthday, and have really enjoyed it. I mean, still can’t beat it, the last dungeon is kicking my butt, but I am enjoying it at least, lol. 
> 
> Members of class 1A and 1B, as well as the teachers and villains, shall be making appearances throughout the story if I continue this story. For example, I’m thinking about giving Shigaraki the position of the Necromancer, or maybe Muscular as the Bandit Chief. Haven’t thought it all the way through yet - it's mostly just ideas, but I thought it was a neat idea. 
> 
> Anyways, let me know what you guys think of it, I look forward to hearing your thoughts and opinions. 
> 
> I’d like to thank my brother, Autumnstar, and my sisters, Bluefires and CaptainDarkElf, for beta reading this chapter for me.


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